Health Desk: Bangladesh recorded eight novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 406 fresh cases overnight.

The recovery count rose to 4,90,468 after another 536 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today.

“Eight more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 8,337,” the release said.

It said the tally of infections has surged to 5,42,674 as 406 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours.

A total of 14,232 samples were tested at 214 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.

Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 2.85 percent tested positive, while 13.83 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added.

Among the total infections, 90.38 percent patients have recovered, while 1.54 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.

Among eight deaths, six are male and two female, the press release said, adding one is in his 20s, one in his 40s, two are in their 50s while four are above 60 years.

According to the division-wise data, four deaths took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other divisions.

Among the total 8,337 fatalities, 4,658 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,526 in Chattogram division, 475 in Rajshahi division, 558 in Khulna division, 252 in Barishal division, 310 in Sylhet division, 362 in Rangpur division and 196 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release.

A total of 39,22,489 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round the clock in the country.

As of February 18, a total of 7,24,120 people have so far received healthcare services from telemedicine.

The DGHS said 2,36,66,725 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services.

To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222. As of February 19, 2021, 10:28 GMT, 2,454,251 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 110,911,886 confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.